Tips & recipes for crab cakes

Fresh crab season is in full swing, giving you the scrumptious opportunity to make crab cakes with fresh crab meat.

Choosing fresh crabs

If you are lucky enough to live near an ocean or bay that offers fresh, live crabs, go crabbing for the ultimate "sea to table" experience. Otherwise, get fresh crabs from a reputable
fishmonger or seaside farmer's market.

If fresh crabs aren't in your locale, check seafood purveyors online; they will send you crabs live or steamed. Since crab meat must be cooked before you make crab cakes, steamed crabs will
save you a step in the process. Live crabs are guaranteed fresh -- but there's nothing like cooking crabs that are scurrying all around.

Making crab cakes

After the crabs are cooked, you must pick the meat out of the shells, keeping the lumps as large as possible. This can be tedious work because you have to make sure no shells or cartilage are left
in the meat.

You can make classic crab cakes, of course, but there are many mouthwatering variations. Add jalapenos for a spicy kick. Try fresh herbs, olives, tomatoes, avocadoes or artichoke hearts. You can
even make crab cakes without the breadcrumbs for full crab flavor.

Crab cakes also make great sandwiches with just a little tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, homemade aioli or spicy chili sauce. Yum!